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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and U.S. Representative Jim Marshall, D-Ga., announced today that the Air Force has signed a $21 million contract with McKnight Construction Company of Augusta to construct a much-needed software support facility at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.   Construction is expected to begin in late October and the estimated project completion date is October 2009.

 

“Award of this contract is a tremendous success story for Robins and the U.S. Air Force,” said Senator Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  “This was an incredible team effort by all parties involved, and I commend the Air Force for getting this project on contract less than 60 days after they received the funds.  With this project Robins will become an even more capable center for maintaining and improving the performance of Air Force weapon systems.”

 

“This is a critical facility for Robins and is long overdue. I’m pleased with the teamwork that made it happen,” said Representative Marshall, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-Chair of the House Air Force Caucus.  “I look forward to seeing Robins become more than the Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence for the Air Force. I hope to see Robins become the Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence for all military branches.”

Currently, the software facilities at Robins are at full capacity, with no room for the anticipated future workload. The addition of a new software support facility will add 80,000 square feet of new floor space and will accommodate an expected 30-40% increase in software workload through FY09. Furthermore, the additional space afforded by the new facility will enable Warner Robins ALC to quickly expand to meet the mission requirements for the Air Force, including software work for the new F-22 Raptor.

 

The U.S House and U.S. Senate approved a re-programming request in August 2007 to fund this project.  The project had been authorized in the Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act. However, because the 109^th Congress did not complete the Fiscal Year 2007 Military Construction Appropriations bill, and because the Joint Funding Resolution to complete the FY07 appropriations bills did not include funding for the project, no funding for the project was available until August of this year.